Supporting means for concrete reinforcements



Aug. 12, 1969 w. ERNST 3,460,309

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CONCRETE REINFORCEMENTS Filed Nov. 16, 1965 lNVENTO/P wa/fer ERNST 21. eArH 4.7)OEIVEY atent Cfice 3,460,309 Patented Aug. 12, 1969 Int. (:1. E04c 5/20 U.S. Cl. 52-677 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In reinforced concrete floor or the like constructions embodying a reinforcing steel mat consisting of two sets of intersecting reinforcing rods connected at the intersection points, the latter are supported in spaced relation to a concrete forming surface prior to and during pouring of the concrete by means of a plurality of fiat oblong concrete spacing elements distributed over said surface, said elements having a length in excess of a multiple of the rod spacing distance of said mat and being firmly locked in the floor or the like structure upon pouring and curing of the concrete by at least the longitudinal edges of the elements including two inclined surfaces intersecting one another along a line parallel to said edges. Mounting of the elements is advantageously effected by simply tossing the same upon said surface, the design being such as to cause the elements to automatically assume a position with one of their flat faces overlying said surface, substantially without the use of special implements or laying operations.

The present invention relates to supporting means for concrete rinforcements, in particular steel mats or the like reinforcing structures comprising parallel reinforcing rods or bars spaced from each other by substantially constant spacing distance.

In the use of reinforcements of this type in the construction of concrete walls, floors or the like structures, it is necessary, for structural and other reasons, to provide suitable supporting and spacing means in order to ensure a close predetermined spacing distance or position of the reinforcements from the outer surface of the concrete construction body, such as the bottom surface of a floor, ceiling, or the like concrete structure.

Supporting and spacing means for the lower reinforcement of a concrete floor or the like structure have already become known in the art in a variety of designs and constructions. Their main purpose is to ensure a constant spacing distance between a reinforcing steel mat, from the lower surface of the fioor or the like concrete structure. The supporting devices may be disposed either directly below and in contact with the undersurface of the steel rods or bars of the reinforcing structure, or at the intersection points of two rods of the reinforcing mat or structure.

It has furthermore become known, in the interest of achieving a desired homogeneity of the concrete bodies (floors, ceilings, etc.), to construct the supporting and spacing devices of concrete in the form of small blocks having a triangular or rectangular cross-section and a height or thickness equal to the desired spacing distance of th reinforcement from the outer or bottom surface of the floor or the like concrete structure. Secure mounting of the spacing devices upon the reinforcements may be effected simply by twisting the ends of a reinforcing wire embedded in the blocks around the rods or bars of the reinforcements.

Concrete spacing blocks of the foregoing type have the disadvantage, among others, that a firm and permanent connection with the surrounding concrete body (floor, ceiling, etc.) is not always possible, whereby the blocks may become loose or even drop out completely, or otherwise impair the homogeneity and/or appearance of the concrete structures.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of relatively simple and efficient concrete spacing means of the general type referred to and adapted for use in connection with concrete reinforcing mats or the like structures comprising parallel rods spaced at a predetermined substantially constant distance, the improved spacing means according to the invention being substantially devoid of the afore-mentioned and related defects and drawbacks inherent in the spacing devices heretofore known and used in the art.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved supporting and spacing element for concrete reinforcements of the referred to type which, while being simple in design and construction, may be applied or mounted readily and expenditiously in the carrying out of the concrete construction work or operations.

The invention, both as to the foregoing and ancillary objects, as well as novel aspects thereof, will be better understood from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a reinforcing mat structure supported by a concrete spacing element constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are cross-sections through a concrete supporting element showing alternative structural embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section through a complete concrete floor or the like structure embodying the improved spacing and supporting means of the invention.

Like reference numerals denote like parts in the different views of the drawing.

With the foregoing objects in View, the improved sup porting and spacing element for concrete reinforcing mats to be embodied in a floor or the like structure consists essentially of a flat oblong concrete slab of a length in excess of a multiple of the rod spacing distance of the mat to be supported. In use, a plurality of elements of constant thickness are distributed over the forming surface of the concrete floor, etc. with one of their flat faces overlying said surface and with their remaining flat face collectively providing a support for the mat to be embodied in said floor, said elements being further designed to remain permanently embedded or locked in the floor upon pouring and curing of the concrete.

According to a most expeditious way of practicing the invention, the slabs may be irregularly applied to the concrete forming surface, such as by simply throwing or tossing the same upon said surface, it being immaterial for the achievement of the desired (spacing) effect whether the slabs are arranged in rows or any other regular arrangements, provided they are more or less evenly distributed over said surface.

In order to firmly and permanently lock the slabs in the concrete of the floor, ceiling or the like structure,

at least the longitudinal or side edge portions of the slabs are constructed of wedge-shaped cross-section, in such a manner as to substantially prevent loosening or dropout from the surrounding concrete, or to improve the allover appearance of the structures, in the manner as will become further apparent as the description proceeds in reference to the drawing.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, the supporting and spacing element 1 according to the invention takes the form of a relatively flat and oblong concrete element or slab which may be fabricated in quantities and supplied to the user in sufficient numbers together with the supply of the mats or the like reinforcing structures consisting, for instance, of two sets of steel rods or bars 2 and 3 intersecting each other at right angles and being connected at their intersection points, in a manner well known and shown in the drawing. The thickness or spacing distance between the parallel supporting surfaces 9 of the slab 1, which has a length in excess of a multiple of the spacing distance of the rods 2 to be supported, depends upon the desired distance of the mat 2, 3 from the outer surface of the concrete body to be reinforced (floor, ceiling, etc.), or surface of the form work 5 being later removed upon pouring and setting of the concrete 4, FIG. 4. The length of the element 1 is advantageously such as to support two to three adjacent rods 2, in the example shown, while leaving a sufiicient overlap beyond the rods being supported, as shown in the drawing. Besides, the dimensions, in particular the width of the elements 1 may be such as to be not or only slightly discernible upon being embedded in the surrounding concrete 4, FIG. 4, of the floor, ceiling or the like body or structure.

According to a most simple and economical way of carrying into effect the invention, the spacing or supporting slabs 1 may be distributed in irregular fashion over the forming surface 5, it being practically unnecessary to arrange the slabs in rows or any regular fashion, any random positioning or distribution thereof being suificient to ensure the desired spacing effect for the mat 2, 3.

The time required in mounting or applying the slabs 1 to the surface 5 is practically negligible, in that, by virtue of the relatively large supporting surfaces 9 compared with the slab thickness as well as of the design of the edge surfaces of the slabs in the manner described presently, the slabs upon being simply tossed or flung upon the surface 5 will be automatically positioned with one of their fiat faces 9 engaging a surface 5, in the manner readily understood.

The supporting slabs 1 may in turn be fitted with suitable reinforcing means, such as in the form of one or more longitudinal steel rods or wires 6, embedded therein to prevent breakage as a result of rough handling in connection with the concrete construction work or upon being thrown upon the formwork or surface 5, in the manner pointed out. If desirable or necessary, the wires 6 may in turn be connected by cross-rods, to form an auxiliary mat reinforcing the slabs.

Moreover, a proper design of the supporting slabs 1 in accordance with the invention serves to substantially prevent loosening or dropout of the slabs by both firmly embedding and locking the same in the surrounding concrete, as shown in FIG. 4.

For the latter purpose, the side and end portions of the slabs, in the example shown, are of wedge-shaped crosssection, whereby to provide a pair of longitudinal or side edge surfaces 8a and 81) forming angles greater than, FIG. 2, or less than, FIG. 3, a right angle with the adjoining supporting surfaces 9 of the slab. In other words, in FIG. 2 the wedge surfaces 8a and 8b extend outwardly from the sides of the slab, while according to the FIG. 3 construction the surfaces 8a: and 8b extend in an inward direction from said sides, in such a manner as to result in a firm locking or anchoring of the slabs in the concrete body or structure 4, FIG. 4. In the same manner may be constructed the short edge or end faces 7 of the slabs, as shown in FIG. 1.

An advantage of a symmetrical cross-section of the slab 1, as shown by the drawings, is due to the fact that, irrespective of which of the supporting surfaces 9 is in the up or down position upon tossing the slabs upon the surface 5, the mounting in or adhesion of the slab to the concrete remains the same. Furthermore, it has been found that slabs having a regular or symmetrical cross-section can be fabricated with greater case than bodies of irregular shape or cross-section.

More particularly, according to the FIG. 2 construction the edge surfaces 8a and 8b form angles 10 greater than a right angle with the adjoining supporting surfaces 9 of the slab or, in other words, the slab is composed of a pair of identicalv trapezoids arranged with their base planes coinciding-with a common plane and with their top planes acting as supporting surfaces of the slab. On the other hand, according to the FIG. 3 construction the partial edge surfaces-8a and 8b form angles 10 with the surfaces 9 being less than a right angle, whereby the slab is composed of a pair of identical trapezoids arranged with their top planes coinciding with a common plane and with their base surfaces acting as supporting surfaces of the slab. In other words, the edge surfaces 8a and 8b intersect one another'along lines being parallel to the adjacent edges of the slabs. In either case, there is achieved the desired anchoring effect of the slabs in the surrounding concrete 4, as shown in FIG. 4.

Small or even throughgoing cracks in the slabs, which may arise from the throwing of the slabs upon the concrete formwork, are of no consequence due to the effect of the auxiliary reinforcements 6 of the slabs.

In order to effect an improved and secure anchoring of the slabs in the concrete structures 4, FIG. 4, the reinforcing wire 6 may be extended beyond the short edges of the slabs for connection with the reinforcements, if desirable. According to an especially advantageous embodiment, the slabs may be used as spacing means in connection with vertical reinforcements for concrete walls by simply reversely bending the projecting ends 11 of the wires 6, to form hooks for connection with a wire or rod 3 of the main reinforcing structure, as shown in FIG. 4. The same arrangement may, of course, be used in connection with horizontal structures, such as floors, ceilings, etc.

In the foregoing the invention has been described in reference to a specific illustrative device. It will be evident, however, that variations and modifications, as well as the substitution of equivalent parts for those shown herein for illustration, may be made in accordance with the broader scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claim. The specification and drawing are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than in a restrictive sense.

I claim:

1. In a reinforced concrete slab embodying a reinforcing mat composed of two sets of parallel reinforcing rods intersecting one another with the rods of one set connected to the rods of the other set at the intersection points of the rods, to provide a self-contained structure, spacing means to maintain said mat at a predetermined distance from a planar concrete surface for said slab prior to and during pouring of the concrete, comprising:

(1) a plurality of flat oblong concrete spacing elements each having a length in excess of a multiple of the spacing distance of said rods and parallel flat bounding surfaces spaced by a predetermined distance considerably less than said length,

(2) at least the side edges of said elements being bounded by a pair of inclined surfaces intersecting one another along lines parallel to the adjacent edges of the elements, whereby to firmly lock the elements in the concrete slab formed upon said surface upon pouring and curing the concrete, and

sur-

(3) at least one longitudinal reinforcing wire embedded in said elements, said wire having end portions protruding from the opposite ends of the elements and formed into hooks,

(4) said hooks adapted to secure the reinforcing wires to a rod of said mat.

902,204 10/1908 Brown 52-723 Salfiel 52-686 Reed 52-688 Welch 52-684 Salm 52-687 Finsterwalder 94-8 FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1950 Canada.

Great Britain.

FRANCIS K. ZUGEL, Primary Examiner 

